Rose Canyon Lake with Janice Travis & Cedar Stanistreet

Olive Warbler by Shawn Cooper

Difficulty: Moderate. Mostly walking on paved road or dirt trails, but will involve some incline at elevation and possibly some rocky/rooted trails. Bathroom on-site.

Rose Canyon Lake in the Catalina Mountains is the top destination for birding on Mt. Lemmon. The oak and pine habitats contain many Madrean species normally found only south of the border.  This short paved road is interspersed with camp sites and picnic grounds which affords easy access for several targets for birders coming to the Sky Islands including Western Flycatcher, Greater Pewee, Hutton’s Vireo, Hepatic Tanager, and several warblers including Red-faced, Olive, Hermit, Virginia’s, Black-throated, and Grace’s. Limited to 9 participants.

Olive Warbler, Shawn Cooper

Anza Trail at Tubac with Rob Rutledge and Sneed Collard

Difficulty: Moderate. Mostly flat walking on dirt trails that may be a bit sandy or muddy depending on conditions. Bathroom close-by at Ron Morriss Park. Drive time to location approximately one hour.
We’ll take a leisurely stroll through the riparian forest along the Santa Cruz River following the historic De Anza Trail. We’ll be looking for Green Kingfishers, Thick Billed, Tropical, Cassin’s and Western Kingbirds, Zone-tailed and Gray Hawks, lots of tanagers and warblers. We will spend most of the day in the shade of the cottonwoods as we explore lots of different areas going south along the river. There might even be a chance of seeing Rose-throated Becards, though their numbers have been declining along the river. Limited to 9 participants.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Martin Molina

Las Cienegas Grasslands with Joshua Covill sponsored by Hillstar Nature

Difficulty: Moderate. Some walking on mild slopes on dirt trails or gravel roads. Dirt trails may be muddy. Bathroom at Empire Ranch. Drive time to location approximately one hour plus driving on gravel/dirt roads.

Las Cienegas is a 45,000-acre national conservation area with high desert grasslands, riparian strips and perennial streams, marshes, and juniper-oak woodlands. Here we can find grassland breeders such as Cassin’s, Botteri’s and Grasshopper Sparrows, Chihuahuan Meadowlark, and Loggerhead Shrike, as well as riparian-associated species including Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue Grosbeak, Yellow Warbler, and Summer Tanager. Las Cienegas is great for mammals, too — we’ll visit a colony of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (road condition permitting) and keep an eye out for Pronghorn Antelope. Join Joshua Covill of Hillstar Nature to explore this beautiful habitat. Limited to 9 participants.

Chihuahuan Meadowlark, Alan Schmierer

San Pedro House with Kristy Gallo & Jessica Vaughan

Difficulty: Moderate. About two miles walking on good gravel/dirt surfaces, although it may be muddy depending on monsoon conditions. Prepare for possibility of chiggers. Bathroom on-site. Drive time to location approximately 90 minutes.

The San Pedro River is one of the single most important biological features in the arid Southwest and serves as a migratory corridor for an estimated 4 million migrating birds each year. Riparian specialties like Common Ground-Dove, Gray Hawk, and Blue Grosbeak are expected along with a good mixture of flycatchers like Western Wood Pewee, Cassin’s Kingbird, Willow Flycatcher, and plenty of Vermilion Flycatchers. Limited to 9 participants.

Blue Grosbeak, Matthew Studebaker

Agua Caliente Canyon with Ethan Beasley

Arizona Woodpecker by Mick Thompson

Difficulty:  Hard. Total round trip hiking distance about 3 miles. We will be away from the vehicle for around 3 hours. The trail is hot, of uneven tread, and steep. Bring at least 2 liters of water. No bathroom on-site, prepare for backcountry experience. Drive time to final location approximately 75 minutes.

Located south of Tucson on the west side of the scenic Santa Rita Mountains, the habitat of Agua Caliente Canyon is typical of mid-elevation canyons in the Sky Island mountain ranges of southeastern Arizona. Species seen in previous years include Arizona Woodpecker, Coppery-tailed Trogon, Bushtit, Virginia’s Warbler, and Varied Bunting. Limited to 9 participants.

Arizona Woodpecker, Mick Thompson

Patagonia Lake State Park with Louie Dombroski & Manuel Grosselet

Difficulty: Moderate. Will involve walking along mostly level trail but with uneven surfaces for around 2 miles, one area with steep stairs. Drive time to location about 80 minutes. Bathroom on-site.

Patagonia Lake is the top eBird hotspot in the state thanks to its mix of waterbirds and great riparian habitat. Mexican Duck, Ruddy Duck, and Neotropic and Double-crested Cormorants should be readily seen on the lake along with raptors, flycatchers, and tanagers along the Birding Trail. As one of the few “large” bodies of water in SE Arizona you never know what could show up. We’ll have lunch here which is provided. Limited to 8 participants.

Neotropic Cormorant, David Kreidler

Harshaw Creek and Patagonia Hotspots with Jake Thompson & Kelly Ball

Difficulty: Moderate. Some walking on mild slopes, and possibly rocky/uneven surfaces, but mostly on gravel road. Drive time to location approximately one hour on paved & gravel roads.

Harshaw Creek is lined with Sycamores making it a great location for woodpeckers, flycatchers, tanagers, and more. We might catch a look at one of the Elegant Trogons that breed through here and Mexican Jays are common in the oaks. After exploring the Harshaw area we’ll head over to the Paton Center for Hummingbirds to look for Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Gray Hawks, and more. Lunch will be provided courtesy of local favorite, Gathering Grounds. Limited to 9 participants.

Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Lois Manowitz

Mt. Lemmon: Sonoran Desert to Mixed Conifer Forest with Ethan Kistler

Steller's Jay by Shawn Cooper

Difficulty: Moderate. Steeper slopes, high elevation, and possibly some short portions on rocky/rooted trails. Bathrooms available. Drive time to final location approximately 75 minutes.

Rising over 6,000 feet above Tucson, Mount Lemmon is the highest peak in the Santa Catalina Mountains at 9,157 feet, and a popular escape from urban life and the Arizona’s dry early-summer heat (before the relief of the cooling monsoon rains). It is also an incredible birding experience and biology lesson. Traversing six life zones, from the Sonoran Desert at the base to mixed conifer forests at the highest elevations, the 25-mile drive up the wide, paved, two-lane Catalina Highway is equivalent biologically to traveling from Mexico to Canada. Our efforts will be concentrated on the higher elevations far above the desert below. We’ll look for typical mountain species like Steller’s Jay, Acorn Woodpecker, Spotted Towhee, and Plumbeous Vireo. We’ll make a special effort to track down a variety of warblers; Painted Redstart and Olive, Red-faced, and Grace’s Warblers all breed in these mountains and by August they are beginning to form mixed-species foraging flocks. A few hummingbird feeders are scattered about our route as well. Combine the birds with temperatures nearly 30 degrees cooler at the top and unparalleled scenery, it is hard to beat the Catalinas in August! Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Steller’s Jay, Shawn Cooper

Big Day Adventure with Alex Lamoreaux

Difficulty: Moderate. May include some walking on steeper slopes or rocky/rooted trails, but not for long lengths. Fast-paced and may include lots of jumping in and out of the van. Will have a short time for lunch and bathroom stops.

Have you ever experienced the thrill of a “Big Day?” This is a fun, and somewhat competitive, way to see a wide variety of species and locations throughout the Tucson and Southeast Arizona area in a short amount of time! Exact route will be up to the discretion of the leader, to maximize the numbers of species seen/heard. Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Verdin, Mick Thompson

Big Day Adventure with Jeremy Dominguez

Difficulty: Moderate. May include some walking on steeper slopes or rocky/rooted trails, but not for long lengths. Fast-paced and may include lots of jumping in and out of the van. Will have a short time for lunch and bathroom stops.

Have you ever experienced the thrill of a “Big Day?” This is a fun, and somewhat competitive, way to see a wide variety of species and locations throughout the Tucson and Southeast Arizona area in a short amount of time! Exact route will be up to the discretion of the leader, to maximize the numbers of species seen/heard. Lunch included. Limited to 8 participants.

Black-throated Sparrow, Martin Molina